In its early stages, gum disease is very hard to see. You may not know that you have a problem. But every time you have a check up, your dentist looks for signs of gum disease.

Your dentist may use a dental tool called a "periodontal probe" to measure where your gums attach to your teeth. Healthy gums attach to teeth just below the edge of the gum. If your gums attach to your teeth below this point, it is a sign of gum disease.

X-rays to show how much bone is around your teeth. If you have gum disease, getting rid of plaque and tartar gives your gums a chance to get better. That's why in the early stages of gum disease, the best treatment is cleaning by your dentist to remove built-up tartar, brushing twice a day to remove plaque and flossing once a day to remove plaque.

A periodontist also treats serious forms of gum disease that do not get better with normal dental care. When serious gum disease is found, brushing and flossing become even more important.